A different kind of Kingdom
by peroquenotevean
Summary: This is a historical/Steampunk story. When his father gave her away to the cold Prince Jackson, April thought her life was finished. Alone in a country she doesn't know she has to trust on the Prince and learn his culture. She just needs him to open up to her. But still hurting because of a traumitic event in his past caused by April family, Jackson isn't feeling magnanimous


**This story is dedicated to the great LeandraDeRaven, she requested me to write it and she has been helping me since then. Thank you buddy**

 **This is an AU story that presents two differents kingdoms. The first one is a kingdom frozen in the Dark Medieva Age, that is April's world. The second one is a kingdom that has advanced. Think about a Steampunk world. And that is Jackson world, where April will have to live from now and on**

 **English is not my native language so forgive me for my mistakes, I try to get better so if you think that there is something that I should improve don't be shy, write a review. If you like it, love it or hate it, by all means, let me know what you think**

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The land was red, tainted by the blood of the fallen soldiers. The attack was unexpected and done with clinic cold precision. Jackson stares down at the king. This king is tall, strong and proud, but right now he looks small and defeated. His name is Joseph the Fair because his skin is pale, his hair is blonde and grey and his eyes are blonde. Jackson is the opposite. His origins are proved by his olive skin and his curly black hair, whilst his other origins are reflected by his big green-bluish eyes. Even though he is also tall, he is not as tall as the King and he is lankier than the King Joseph, yet more athletic. The King rules with an iron fist and trough fear he earned his subjects obedience. People like Jackson are slaves in the King land, something that he learned during the year he himself was made into one. Back then he was just a kid trying to understand his father's culture and the only things he earned with that were pain and a few scars. He wouldn't have been treated so rudely if he had told them his true identity, but he didn't, so he went through a year as an slave in the White Kingdom. And now, a few years later he is going to make them pay for him and for all the people ripped away from Jackson's land

The fight was unfair, Jackson's men had guns and rifles, which means they have the power of fire, whilst King Joseph's man only had knives and swords, and even then they faced them with such a bravery and strength that they earned Jackson admiration, however they didn't win his forgiveness.

So here they are, in an impasse; most of the King men are dead and the survivors are being hold by the neck by Jackson's soldiers. They are all in circle and in the middle of it there is the King, wounded and defeated, he is still holding his sword. Still sitting astride his horse, Jackson goes closer to the group and stops when he find a little mound that would allow him to be even taller than the King. Once he is in front of the King, Jackson talks with threatening voice

"Drop your weapon, your Majesty" he says Majesty with all the disdain he feels towards the King and his people. Joseph looks around him and finally decides to obey the foreign leader "on your knees, your Highness" there are some laughs when the King once again obeys the man, he knows he doesn't have a choice and he doesn't want to lose more of his men because of his pride

"What do you want?" Joseph asks resolutely, even though he knows the answer, at least he can imagine it

"What do I want? That's funny. What do you think I want, Milord?"

"You want to kill me and become the new king" Jackson and all his men star laughing, some of them are really in hysterics, and they are whispering secrets among them that worry the King even more than death itself

"My god... You don't get it, do you...? You really are like cavern men to us, why would I want a land that lacks of the more basic advanced systems..."

The King opens and shut his mouth surprised, without knowing what to say. They have been kidnapping people from the land of the black people for years and so far they have only found primitive women and men who walk almost naked and live in caves. However, Jackson and his men wear rich clothes, ride beautiful horses embellished with golden garments and they fight with magic weapons that have killed Joseph men from afar

"Those men that you have been kidnapping are the Humility Disciples" Jackson says "they chose to live without technological advances because it goes against their religion, and they chose to not defend themselves because of their religion as well... Us, on the other hand, we are scientists and warriors, we study the art of war and medicine, math, philosophy and everything that can be study, even the stars above us... Your people and your land are useless to us"

"What do you want then?"

"One of your daughters, the older one"

"What? No, never..." Jackson doesn't answer, he just make a signal to one of his men and this one kills the King soldier in his hold. The gun sounds reverts around all the forest, low and final, and the King closes his eyes and send a pray for the fallen soldier

"Oh, my Majesty... You see, I know one of these men is more important than the rest... I don't know if he is your bastard or your lover, and frankly, I don't care either way".

The King doesn't validate and doesn't deny anything, he knows is pointless, the rumors and gossiping have run around the land for years and he hasn't done anything about it. However, the man words proof that he has been in the village, otherwise he wouldn't know anything, which means that he knows who soldier is

"Why do you want my daughter?" He asks with trembling voice as his earlier arrogance has been forgotten

"Why do you think? To wed her of course. You see, I want to be a member of your family, I want a son of my Kingdom in the King court"

The only thing that Joseph feels when he hears the man plan is disgust and revulsion, a black man in the court is just as revolting as the idea of any of his daughters being touched by a black man.

"Never" he says with all the disgust he is feeling pouring into his voice and his gaze "You can kill us all..."

"Fine... I can kill you all, then I will conquer your village, I will take your older daughter and the rest of them and they will be my gift for my men..."

As soon as they hearing their lord words, all the men starting cheering up and talking about all the things they would do to the girls. The King feels physically ill, too aware of the fact that the exotic man in front of him could and probably will execute his threats

"Fine, I'll give you one of my daughters, but it can't be Libby"

"Look around you, what give you the idea that this is a negotiation"

"I can't give you Libby because she is already married and with a child" Once again Jackson doesn't answer, he gives the signal to another one of his soldiers and he killed the man in his hold. Jackson is following an order and he knows the next one is the one favored by the King. When the late doesn't say anything Jackson gives another signal, however this time the stoic King reacts with a plea

"No! Stop, please stop!"

"Why should I stop?"

"I'll give you my second daughter" that surprises Jackson as he didn't believe that the King would give up so easily

"Your second daughter" repeats Jackson dumbfounded

"Yes! Elizabeth's child won't be the crown heir, I will change the law so your child will be"

"Wow, what did the princess Elizabeth do to earn this treatment towards her children?"

"She didn't do anything... But if I don't give you one of my daughters my people will have a terrible fate and my daughters will have the worst fate of all, I'm protecting them"

"No, you are protecting your favorites and getting rid of the one who isn't"

"You are wrong! I love all my children just the same... But the second one... She is strong, and therefore the only one who could survive a marriage with someone like you"

And with that said, the King sealed her daughter fate by picking the stranger interest

Jackson has known all the King's daughters, at least that's what he thinks. They are beautiful and all the people in the Kingdom talk about them with reverence. Tall, slender and with wild, curly read hair, they catch the attention of any man who dares to look at them. However, they are as ugly inside as they are beautiful outside. Cruel, rude and restless, they have fun by whipping, torturing and hurting slaves and it's all a game for them. Jackson himself was one of their favorite victim, however that isn't what pushed Jackson to seek vengeance against the kingdom and its princesses, what they did to him has plagued his nightmares until his mother gave him the permission to start this war and choose one of the King daughters as his wife, even if it means to have a bad an unfit woman as the Lord's consort. However, his mother only agreed to allow her son to seek his vengeance because their land needs a leader with clear mind and free heart, at least those were his mother words

He doesn't remember the second daughter as particularly strong, on the contrary, she was Elizabeth loyal follower and right hand. She was always there, with Elizabeth, one step behind and cheering her up like a cheat blind follower

"Are you telling me that Kimberly is the strongest one? Do you think I'm an idiot?" Jackson roars at the same time he signals his man to kill off the favorite soldier

"NOOOOO, IT'S NOT KIMBERLY" Jackson arise his hand to signal his soldier to stop which it's a little late because the favorite soldier is already bleeding, nothing major, though it's enough to earn a sob from the King

"Kimberly it's the third one, the second one is April" Jackson never heard a word about her, however the King's soldiers reaction is enough to give him pause. In fact one of the King's soldiers tried to escape, which initiated a riot, which elicited a new battle, which ended with the death of other soldiers. After a few minutes of confusion the few King's men are put on their knees again, though this time they are held at gun point

"See? You see? She is well loved by our people!"

"And you want to give her to me..."

"I want to save her and her sisters!"

"Deal... Only two more conditions... One, you will free our people, and two, you will give us a part of your black rocks"

"You can't do that! Our Kingdom needs those slaves!"

"And I understand that, but those slaves are our allies and our people, what your people are doing against ours is a crime! And do you want to know what we do to punish criminals? I think you call it the Talion Law?" Jackson asks with a menacing voice

"We didn't know!"

"What? Did you think that because their skin is black they are primitives?"

"They live like primitives!"

"No they don't, they choose to live as one with Mother Nature, if they wanted they could very well defend themselves as we just did, with guns and knives... I understand you don't want to lose your free labour, I'm afraid your people is going to have to learn to work, or you could pay those of my people who choose to stay in your Kingdom, you will treat them as citizens, they will be paid for their work and they'll have the same rights by law as your people"

"Fine... But I don't know what the black rock..."

"No, of course you don't, ask my people who is living in the Farrier's house, they know and they will teach you. You have one week to make your scribe write down the contract and one of your priest wed me with your daughter, we'll see you in one week, at the wee hours of the day and in this same place"

And with that Jackson made a new signal with his hand and he and all his men left the place.

During the next week King Joseph thought about attacking the stranger people in order to take his revenge and avoid the terrible fate for his people and his daughter. He didn't lie, he loves his daughters the same, however April is different, she isn't the one he loves the least but the one he loves the most. She reminds him of his beloved mother thanks to her kind heart and her wit intelligence, but all those things that he loves so much are the same things that are hurting terribly his land. She isn't shy about her ideas and the worst thing is that she has a base of loyal followers that threats his own leadership, he just witnessed how some of them sacrificed themselves just to save her from a miserable fate, and when they were going back the rest of them had the same fate when they tried to take down the King. So Joseph loves his daughter with all his heart, but the truth is that he loves the crown and the power that comes with it more. His own adviser, a man who practically raised her, agreed with him, by giving April to those people he was saving his people and his crown. The only problem were that his wife wouldn't allow him to do such a thing to their beloved girl

With that in mind, the King talked with his more trusted and together created a good plan, one that would put himself as the hero.

They explained to the people what happened with Jackson and their men, and even though they weren't happy with the prospect of losing their slaves, the true is that only the richer had slaves, most of the people were almost as poor as the slaves, they just lived a little bit better than them, therefore, they didn't care so much about it. However, the Kingdom would suffer with the lost, even if they avoided a riot, at least for now

However, he didn't said anything about April, not to her and the rest of the family and not to the Kingdom's citizens

So when the day came, he invited her daughter to spend the day with him. She was shocked as her relationship with his father has always been a complicated one, however she always believed in the people kindness and goodness, and that included his father. On his part, the King took advantage of his daughter naivety to get her on the cart, and once they were on their way, afar from their castle and the protective Queen, Joseph started to talk

"April, my daughter, you know I love you, right?"

"Yes, of course" answered the princess astonished "why are you telling me this?"

"Because I have to do something terrible to you in order to save the Kingdom and your sisters" and before April could react her keeper hit her on the head, living her unconscious

By the time they arrive to the clearing in the woods where they have arranged the meeting she was tied up and gagged, so she couldn't do anything else besides listening to his father

"You see my daughter, the liberation of the slaves wasn't the only thing the man demanded me, he demanded one of my daughters and you are the only one strong enough to endure this"

As she heard his father words April increased her struggles. Even though she knew she couldn't escape his father and his men, she has to try it because to fight is inborn in her. The King just stayed where he was, crying quietly and praying for his daughter fake. The princess keeper and the rest of the men joined the King prayer

A long time after that, Jackson and his men arrived to the meeting point. By then April was just exhausted so when her keeper offered her a drink to relax her she took it so after a few minutes she just didn't care about anything. She didn't move when they took off the gag and covered her face with a veil, and when his father untied her she just giggled because suddenly everything was funny, brilliant and colorful.

The gloomy father fetched April to the mound where Jackson was expecting them. He was wearing richer clothes than the last time, also he had shaved and he had his hair cut. His eyes were sparkled with the sun and he had a nervous smile. He wasn't impressed with the princess. She was short, and the dress she was wearing was huge in her, also he couldn't see her face and her movement were clumsy and awkward

"What is the significance of this?" he roared, furious with what he thought was a plot to fool him

"My apologies Milord, this is my daughter April, we have to give her something to calm her nerves"

"So you have to drug her!

"Well Milord, she will learn to accept this marriag…"

"Shut up" a livid Jackson interrupted the King "you really are a horrible man"

"You are the one who required one of my daughters" the King defended himself, clearly upset with Jackson words

"Yes I did, but she isn't my daughter, she is my enemy. Have you brought the priest?"

"Yes I did" the King answered with trembled voice at the same time that the priest gave a step forward

The wedding was short, simple and weird. There was not kiss, April didn't say _yes I do_ and Jackson could only think about how horrible everything was. But at the end it didn't matter that she didn't want that wedding as the King pledged the vows in her name and Jackson did the same

Afterward the King tried to say goodbye to his daughter but Jackson grabbed her and dragged her to his wagon and they left the Steel Kingdom behind

The King couldn't say goodbye to her daughter, not that he deserved the chance


End file.
